Sanders County is named for Wilbur Fiske Sanders, who was a pioneer and a United States Senator from Montana.
Created: February 7, 1905
County Seat:
Thompson Falls 1906 – present
County Courthouse – Thompson Falls
Location: 1111 Main Street / Jefferson Street
Built: 1949 – 1950
Style: Art Deco
Architect: Corwin & Company
Contractor: Frederick A Long
Description: The building faces north and is a two story light cream colored stucco structure. The north front has an overhang at the central entrance which is framed with red colored brick. Above the entrance is a large window on the second story. The building has a recessed section on the east side of the north front. The roof line is flat. On the south side of the building is the old red colored brick jail which is a museum.
Note: The two-story Italianate style jail was built in 1907 by contractors Christian and Gobelet at a cost of $5,000. The building is Thompson Falls’ oldest surviving county building. The structure was originally divided into incarceration cells on the second level and living quarters for the sheriff and his family on the first, with separate entrances for each level. The Paully Jail Company of St. Louis installed the four cells, each designed to hold four individuals. One cell, separated from the others, was for women and children detainees.
Courthouses:
N – Lincoln County and Flathead County
E – Lake County
S – Missoula County and Mineral County
W – Shoshone County, Idaho and Bonner County, Idaho
Photos taken 2009